Former Director of Broadcasting at Radio Cayman Loxley E M Banks and Frances McConvey, Head of Music at John Gray High School have been honoured in the King’s 2025 New Year’s honours.
Governor Jane Owen, in a statement Monday evening, announced the two local awardees.
Banks, 86, is made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services “to broadcasting in the Cayman Islands” and McConvey is awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services “to Music Education in the Cayman Islands”.
“I send my warmest congratulations to them both,” Owen said in the short statement.
Banks, speaking with the Cayman Compass on Tuesday in a telephone interview, said he was grateful to have been recognised for his work “while I am still standing”.
“Many people who contribute a lot never get any accolades in their lifetime and when they are laid out facing the east they know nothing about it. That’s one of the thoughts that I had… I appreciate [it.]” he said.
Community recognition
Banks, whose career in broadcasting spans 60 years, said he did not expect the award and was thankful for the honour.
“It gives me some adulation, some degree of joy to know that at least the community recognises what I have contributed and not contributing it in any manner of looking for accolades, but just doing what I thought what was best and right for the community at the time,” he said.
Banks, who is on a short break from his radio show at Radio Cayman, said he intends to return to the air waves early in the new year.
The Caymanian broadcaster has worked on US radio stations, the US Armed Forces Radio and Television network, and is very active with the local Veterans Association and the Seafarers Association.
‘Award for all teachers’
McConvey, speaking with the Compass Tuesday morning, said she was honoured to be recognised, especially for her role as a music teacher.
“It’s definitely a great honour, and I think that, I think it’s very nice that somebody who’s just a teacher gets an award,” she said, adding that often people at the top are recognised and not the people who do the hard work.
She shared her honour with the many educators on island who play a critical role in raising future leaders.
“The award is like an award for all teachers really. It’s for the people that work hard. I’m not the only person that works hard,” she said.
She said when she first got the call about her award in November she was sworn to secrecy, adding that this was the third recognition she had received for her work over her 41 years of teaching.
“But it was a nice surprise,” she said, adding it was no problem for her to keep the secret.
McConvey said Cayman has a lot of talented children who are musicians.
“It’s very nice, it definitely is an honour to get an award. I think it’s an encouragement for the work that I do with Cayman Arts Festival and with the John Gray kids and so on. It is very encouraging to get an award,” she said.
Jonathan Clark, principal of John Gray High School, extended congratulations to McConvey saying she is “simply an outstanding teacher.”
“She’s exactly what you want from any educator. She cares deeply about all of the students in her care. She looks after staff, and she has a great relationships with her parents. She has a fantastic ability to find students’ hidden talents and then just nurture them,” Clark told the Compass Tuesday.
McConvey said it was especially nice to see music recognised at such a prestigious level.
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Congratulations Loxley. Your voice has been on the airwaves through my childhood, post hurricane Ivan and on a regular thereafter. Thank you Sir!
Well deserved.
Sincere congratulations to both, very deserving in how they have served us in their respective fields, but also in many other ways.
Thank you, Mr Loxley, for all that you have done for us over the years – I know your voice since childhood!
Mrs McConvey, congratulations to you as well.